April 12, 2017
Delaware News
Jobs for the Future
Delaware Pathways leading the way
Blog post by Amy Loyd, associate vice president at Jobs for the Future
Recently, education, workforce development, and government leaders from our national Pathways to Prosperity Network gathered in Wilmington, Delaware to learn from each other, strengthen our cross-sector partnerships, and celebrate success. A particular emphasis was learning about the exciting and impressive work underway in Delaware Pathways. In theory, education is inextricably connected to workforce and economic development.
The News Journal
Delaware School Counselor of the Year named
Erin Crooks, of Georgetown Middle School, has been named the 2017 Delaware School Counselor of the Year. The award was presented to Crooks Monday by the Delaware School Counselor Association during its annual spring conference. Prior to winning the overall state award, Crooks was named Middle School Counselor of the Year in February. Crooks came to Georgetown Middle School as a school counselor in 2009 after spending the previous two years as a counselor at Georgetown Elementary School.
Christina approves ‘safe haven’ policy
A new policy approved Tuesday night puts Christina School District on the map as the first school district in Delaware to officially adopt a “safe haven” policy to help safeguard students in the country illegally. It’s an effort that’s taken roughly three months, and on Monday the measure passed 4-2. (The board is down to six members after Margaret Mason’s recent resignation.) George Evans and Harrie Ellen Minnehan both voted against.
Milford Chronicle
Two Milford students chosen as Secretary of Education Scholars
Two Milford High School students will be honored this month by Delaware’s Secretary of Education Susan Bunting along with 80 other top public school students. Seniors Alexis Peterson and Danny Zang were chosen by Principal Shawn Snyder for their academic achievements among other qualities.
Delaware Public Media
Concord HS wins national engineering competition second year in a row
For the second year in a row, a team from Concord High School in North Wilmington has won a national engineering competition. The SourceAmerica Design Challenge asks high school and college engineering students to come up with innovative solutions to help people with disabilities be productive workers. The 11 students on the Concord team partnered with Wilmington nonprofit “Waggies by Maggie and Friends,” which employs people with disabilities to make dog treats.
National News
Inside Higher Ed
Senators want Pell eligibility for dual enrollment
A bipartisan proposal in the U.S. Senate would open up Pell Grants to low-income students who earn college credits while still enrolled in high school. The bill introduced last week by Senator Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican, and Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, would allow Pell Grant funding for transferable college credits, including general-education requirements, that students complete in an early-college program offered by an accredited institution.
The Tennessean
Early-grade student suspension bill passes House
Tennessee could soon undertake a comprehensive look at discipline practices that lead to any prekindergarten and kindergarten kids being suspended from school. The Tennessee House of Representatives voted in favor of passing along House Bill 872, a bill that calls for a review of all laws and policies related to discipline that removes an early-grade student from school. Senate committees have approved the proposal, but it has yet to be scheduled to be heard on the floor.
The 74 Million
Arizona lawmakers Implement nation’s first universal education savings account program
Arizona lawmakers approved a monumental expansion of private school choice last week, creating the first universal tax-advantaged education savings program in the United States. The Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, as they are known, currently provide money from the state’s general fund directly to parents of students with special needs, who may use it for private and parochial school tuition or other educational costs.
Future Ed
How did chronic absenteeism become a thing?
If you look at the accountability systems states are developing to meet federal requirements, you’ll see a growing number are using chronic absenteeism as a metric. Education Week calls it “super popular.” It makes sense. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to have a non-academic measure, and absenteeism is an easy one to use. Every school collects attendance data, and teachers have been taking the roll since the one-room schoolhouse.